Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-14
Shot in their Good Clothes.


The soldiers of Napoleon |. went
into battle in their dress uniform
His gorgeous infantry charged the
enemy in fantastic CATERS with forty
buttons, and the guard wore into the
fight hats which were decorated with
plumes yard long. Every private
wore epaulets. But III our great war.
says the Youths Companion, even
the officers discarded epaulets except
for the most ceremonious occasions
Like field of ripe wheat, says a
French historian, ''waved the long
plumes of the guard when they went
into battle, and the enemy. recognize
ing at a distance these intrepid plumes,
cried in indescribable terror: cit is
the guards! And the battle was half
won already"
During the campaign of 1859 in Italy
the Sd regiment of the French grena-
diers, supported by the zouaves, were
drawn up facing $4,000 Austrians dur
inc four hours under II broiling sun.
They were hardly comfortable, these
grenadiers, for they were compelled to
wear their immense bcar-skin shakos
every moment of this time, to say
nothing of their heavy braided coats
and the knapsacks upon their backs.
Under the murderouS sun some of the
grenadiers had taken off their shakos.
Gen. Wimpffen, who commanded the
brigade, ordered the great hats to be
replaced.
The grenadiers," he said, eight in
their shakos. Cost what it may, we
1,-tb n1S nd
forwardr
The grenadiers saved the day at
Magenta, and the next day the big
bear-skin hats could be counted on the
field of battle by hundreds.
lone would think there had been a
battle of bears here" some one said,
with melancholy smile, in passing
the scene.
Several days later, on the plain of
Medole, the Emperor Napoleon Ill,
riding across the field, found that
General Anger, who commanded a
battery which was the kew of the
whole engagement, had lost his left
arm and that his shoulder had been
broken by shot from an Austrian
cannon. The general, surrounded by
surgeons, was dying beneath tree on
the plain He was still conscious, al
though speeches..
The emperor, greatly moved and
wishing to convey some sign to the
dying officer that he was raised before
his death to the rank of general of di-
vision for his bravery on the field, un-
fastened one of his own epaulets from
his shoulder and put it into the dying
mans hands. The general smiled
family, pressed the epaulet to his lips,
and died.
Even in the war between the French
and Germans, in 1870, the officers
still wore epaulets in the field. At the
battle OF GravelOtte a squadron of
French dragons charged column of
Prussians hussars who had taken them
in the flank.
In the violence of the shock two of
the opposing horsemen, both dis
mounted, found themselves out off
was major of the German hussars
French dragons. They faced each
other, sabers in hand. The major
dealt the adjutant terrible blow.
The trenchman parrled 1t, but the Ger
mans weapon struck his epaulet and
cut it off; the saber broke in two like
piece Of glass.
The adjutant sprang upon his dis
armed enemy and placed the point of
his saber to his throat.
Surrender" he cried. you are
disarmed."
Kill me-" said the hussar, coolly,
dropping his broken sword and reach
ing as if for his revolver. Il am not
disarmed, | have a revolver"
'.Bahr said the Frenchman. There
isn't shot in it. y
1t was true, and the adjutant led h.
prisoner away. 1t is hard to tell which
more to admire-the officer who, in
order that his fate might be death
rather than surrender, resorted 30 a
heroic supterfuge, or the one who pre-
ferred to risk his own life rather than
strike disarmed enemy.